


1-800-Max

by Eliizabethx



Series: ST - Modern AU [2]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Cell Phones, Family Bonding, Family Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-07
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-07 03:26:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 971
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26346319
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Eliizabethx/pseuds/Eliizabethx
Summary: Max gets a cellphone.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove & Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Will Byers & Maxine "Max" Mayfield
Series: ST - Modern AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1675615
Comments: 6
Kudos: 13





	1-800-Max

"Hey, Shitbird," he calls, tossing the phone next to her on the couch when she looks up.

She quirks an eyebrow at him when she picks it up. "What's this?"

"Well gee, Maxie," he says, smirking at her. "I do believe that's what they call a  _ cellphone _ , almost everyone has one nowadays."

She rolls her eyes. "Wow, thanks so much!" She says sarcastically. "I know what a cellphone is, you dick. Why are you throwing one at me?"

"You're fourteen, figured you should have one by now," he said, dropping down next to her with a shrug.

"It's mine? Really?" She asks, clearly surprised, and based on the massive smile she's sporting, very excited.

"Yep. You better not start texting weird shit to Sinclair though, or I might have to reconsider," he says, half-serious and half-joking.

"First of all, ew," she says, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Second of all, thank you thank you thank you!"

He grunts in surprise when she throws her arms around him, pressing herself into his side. He slowly hugs her back, still unsure of returning her affection.

Honestly, before all the shit after last summer, he didn't even know she  _ was _ the affectionate type. Sure she'd hug her mom, but even then, Susan was usually the one initiating things.

He still kicks himself sometimes, for not realizing that fucking house affected Max just as much as the rest of them.

"Are you sure though?" She asks quietly, clearly reluctant to voice her concern. "I mean, these things aren't exactly cheap…"

You know I had to get my own back in Cali, cause Neil wasn't gonna pay for that shit," he says. She nods, expression souring a little at the name. "Turns out that kinda shit can actually be  _ cheaper _ with more than one person, who knew? So don't worry about it."

"Okay." She unwraps herself from around him so that she can start fiddling with the phone, but she stays pressed against his side, her head leaning on his shoulder. "Thanks, Billy, really."

He decides he's not totally opposed to it, so he leaves one arm wrapped around her shoulders. He pulls out his own phone and starts sending her some of the pictures she's taken with his (mostly of her little nerd troop and El).

"You're welcome I guess," he says, trying to brush off her gratitude.

"Oh man, I can't wait to tell the others! The walkies are cool and all, but this is definitely better." She talks excitedly, adding his number to her contacts and copying the few numbers he has for her friends.

"I'm gonna give them the dumbest pictures, and ringtones! Oh man, I can't wait to show El and Will!" She rattles off excitedly, drawing a genuine smile from him as he laughs. "Oh! I already have the perfect picture for Lucas, look! He's sneezing!"

Sure enough, the kid's eyes are pinched closed and his face is all screwed up, his mouth hanging open in what had to be an obnoxiously loud sneeze, one arm raised just under his chin.

He snorts, voicing his approval as she attaches it to Sinclair's number.

"Can I go call El?" She asks, looking up at him with a giant smile and taking him by surprise.

He doesn't know why the hell she's asking  _ him _ for  _ permission _ , but like he could say no to that fucking smile.

He's pretty sure he can count on one hand the number of times she's looked this happy around him since they left Cali.

"Yeah, knock yourself out," he says, smirking when she jumps up so fast she almost falls on her face. He snags her arm just before she does, pulling her upright.

She grins at him before taking off down the hall, staring intently at her phone as she dials the Chief's place.

He picks up the comic she'd been flipping through when he came in and lets himself relax into the couch for a while.

Max pops back up by the time the Byers are home and she practically tackles Will in her rush to show him her phone.

Billy snorts from his place by the stove, turning off the burner as he finishes making burgers.

Joyce waves him off when he tries to set the table. "I take it she liked it?"

They both look up in time to see the kids taking obnoxious pictures together, quickly bullying Jonathan into taking some with them too.

"Yeah, she thought it was alright," he teases.

Joyce laughs, hip checking him as she puts buns on their plates. "You know she's gonna be taking pictures as much as Jonathan now, right?"

"Yeah, pretty sure he's about to have his own little protégé," he says, deeply amused by the resigned smile on Jonathan's face as he dutifully poses with Will while Max excitedly takes their picture.

"Guys, come eat," Joyce calls still smiling as he drops the last burger on a bun.

"Hey brat, lose the phone," he says. "Were you raised in a barn or what?"

"Oh, are there a lot of farm animals that use phones?" She snarks back, her grin not dimming for a second as she easily leaves it on the side table by the couch, before joining them at the table.

"Wait, I don't get it," Will says as she sits down. "Why do me and El get nice pictures, if you're giving the others weird ones?"

"You and El are my  _ best _ friends," she says casually, a wordless 'duh' in her tone. "So, you guys have to have the  _ best _ pictures."

She looks away to bite into her food, so she misses the look of delighted surprise on his face, but the rest of them catch it.

"Oh," he says, clearly trying to tamp down his smile. "Yeah, that makes sense."

**Author's Note:**

> I completely forgot I had written this lmao
> 
> I hope you enjoyed! Please feel free to leave a comment, I always reply and they make my week! ^^  
> You can find me on tumblr at [ElvhenWitch](http://www.elvhenwitch.tumblr.com) ♥ and twitter at [Elfbich](https://twitter.com/elfbich)


End file.
